-I'm glad that's over with.
Natalie said once their carriage left the palace walls.
-You're not the only one.
Both men said at the same time, before they started laughing.
-This time we all lucked out.
Normally, there would be a formal ceremony, but the emperor was tired since he hadn't had much sleep the last few days, so he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Xiao Han explained.
-That explains a lot.
From what I heard in my previous timeline, such things could take hours.
So I was surprised when the whole audience lasted only about five minutes.
Paul said.
-Well, usually that indeed is the case, but like I said, the emperor is tired and wants to get through it all as soon as possible to get some rest.
Additionally, it was also a good thing that none of the princes and princesses were present.
They are usually not very fond of people getting praised and rewarded, as they perceive it as someone receiving recognition they are entitled to.
I once saw the person who was about to be rewarded left with thirty lashes instead of a reward because they lost their patience and told the third princess to shut up.
Xiao Han shuddered at that memory.
-Then, it is indeed fortunate that they were not here.
Paul agreed, trying to imagine what the princess had done or said to provoke someone in the emperor's presence.
-Alright, since it's already over, when are we going to return to Storm Wave city?
Natalie asked, not interested in hearing any more about the palace.
This one visit there made her never want to set foot inside there again.
She couldn't explain it, but she felt danger on all sides from the moment they passed through the gate to the moment they left.
Without enough knowledge, she had no idea what was going on, and she intended to ask Paul or his reincarnation soul once they left the capital.
-You can go back even today if you want.
Xiao Han said with a bit of sadness in his voice.
-Unfortunately, I need to stay here for at least a day or two more before I can go back.
The two young people understood that he would also love to go back home instead of staying in the capital, but he had duties, and he could not simply do as he wished.
-I would like to wait and go back with you, but I promised to treat Madam Yang in about a month, and most of this time is gone, while I'm still far from reaching the Sorcerer stage.
Paul said apologetically.
-Don't worry about it.
Truth be told, I'm proud that you always keep your word.
There are not many young cultivators who treat their promises with as much importance as you do.
Xiao Han said with a smile.
-Additionally, I doubt that Madam Yang or her family would have anything to say about it, since these were circumstances beyond your control.
Once they got back, the ladies wanted to know how it went, and Paul left, telling the story to Natalie, while he went to find Luo Mo and Luo Feng.
He asked them if they wanted to go back together, but they had to decline as they also had to stay in the capital for a bit longer.
However, they told him not to wait for them, since they knew he had commitments back in Storm Wave City.
Since that was the case, Paul returned to his ladies and told them to pack up.
They were leaving as soon as possible.
The ladies were surprised, since they were sure he would want to wait for his uncle and the rest, but they were also happy to be going back.
They were also not the only ones to leave, as many cultivators who camped next to them were already gone.
-Some people left last evening.
Nia said when they were discussing it on their way to the city gate.
-Since we were all demobilized, it's normal for people to want to go home as soon as they can.
Besides, there should be no danger on the road, since most beasts were wiped out the last time, and this time the ants devoured many of the surviving ones that didn't manage to escape.
Paul said, after thinking about it for a moment.
-Truth be told, if not for the summons to the palace, we would have left at dawn.
He added.
-It would not make too much difference.
Anna shrugged.
-It's still before noon, so we have a lot of time before we will need to pitch camp.
She said, with a smile.
Finally, they were going back, and she would not have to wait for much longer before having her first time with Paul.
-My lord, should I go ahead once we leave the city to see if there is any danger before us?
Elaina asked, still calling him lord.
-No need for that, as soon as we leave the range of the protective barrier, we will use transport spells.
Paul smiled.
The elf nodded, but didn't say anything else.
Everyone has already gotten used to her silence, as she was not a talkative person, and even when she talked, she rarely used two words if one was enough.
As usual, their group gathered a lot of attention.
Many men were jealous of Paul, seeing the young man surrounded by beauties, and even an elf, which was a rarity since elves mostly avoided humans.
Additionally, many ladies were interested in him since a man who was surrounded by so many beautiful women, and a few of them were also from different races, had to be extraordinary.
Which piqued their interest.
This all came to an end as soon as they left the range of the barrier.
At which time, everyone took out a transport spell and activated it.
Paul was the last one to activate the spell, as he wanted to be sure that all the spells activated without any problem.
When the ladies were sent away, he activated his own spell.
-Wait…
Someone shouted.
Paul turned around only to see an official and four imperial soldiers rushing in his direction.
However, it was already too late, as a moment later, blue light enveloped him and sent him away.
-Damn it, we were too late.
The prime minister will not be happy about it.
The official said, breathing heavily.
-Let's wait for a moment, maybe he will return.
One of the imperial soldiers suggested.
-He did hear us and turn towards us before he was transported.
Another chimed in.
-True, but I would not count on that.
The official said.
-It is not easy to make transport spells, and they just used a bunch of them at once, so I doubt they will use more to get back here.
He explained.
-Why did the prime minister want us to bring him back anyway?
The last soldier, who was also an officer, asked, since they only got the orders without any clarification.
-I have not the slightest idea.
The minister simply ordered me to go with you and bring Paul Marshal to him before he left the city.
The official said, with resignation in his voice.
Since they failed, the minister was sure to be angry with them, as he didn't tolerate failures of any kind.